The IPBA Publications Committee is in charge of the publication of the IPBA Journal, IPBA's quarterly printed magazine.

Articles for the Journal are written exclusively by members of the IPBA. Each issue features a theme that is timely and relevant, with perspectives presented by members from various jurisdictions. Readers can also learn about professional and personal news regarding other IPBA members in the Members' Notes section of the Journal.

The IPBA Publications Committee is seeking articles and Members' Notes for the March 2024 IPBA Journal.

The theme for the March 2024 issue is:

Law Firm Management - Steering the Ship in Stormy Waters

The deadline for submissions is

Wednesday, 21 February 2024

The scope of the article should cover issues regarding law firm/legal practice management in difficult times where the business of running a law firm/legal practice is being proven to be challenging due to the downturn in economy, increase in competition, increase in costs, high staff turn-over, and so on. 

A law firm/legal practice is a professional services organisation, but it’s also a business. Contemporary law office management comprises all the business processes that keep the firm operating and presents many challenges, such as balancing client needs, finances, marketing, business development HR, and more. It can be overwhelming for even the most experienced lawyers.  In a rapidly changing legal environment which demands our focused attention and adaptability, how do we effectively manage a law firm/legal practice? Should partners "manage" or "lead" a firm? How should law firms innovate? What technology should we adapt? What are the latest trends in running a law firm? How can we recruit and retain good staff? These are some questions (and others) which we seek to address in this issue. 

A. Articles with a focus on the theme will be accepted for consideration. Requirements for publication of an article in the IPBA Journal are:

1. The article cannot have been published elsewhere in print or digitally. The ideal wordcount of the article should be about roughly 3,000 to 5,000 per article.
2. Authors and co-authors must be members of the IPBA. Please provide your IPBA membership number(s) along with the article. Your membership ID number(s) can be found next to your photo in your online profile, in the Member Only section of the IPBA web site. Or, contact the IPBA Secretariat.
3. The article must be of good quality both in terms of technical input and topical interest for IPBA members.
4. The article must not be written to publicize the expertise, specialization, or network offices of the writer or the firm at which the writer is based.
5. A lead paragraph of approximately 50 to 60 words giving a brief introduction to, or overview of, the article's main theme.
6. Biography of the author(s) in 30 to 50 words.
7. Photo(s) of the author(s) with the following specifications:

• Photo file format: JPG
• Resolution: 300dpi
• Dimensions: 4cm wide x 5cm high

B. Members' Notes: Requirements for publication in the "Members' Notes" section of the IPBA Journal:

1. The note should be 50 to 100 words in length.
2. The note should be limited to personal achievements such as a latest professional deal, award winning, change of firm, new education degree, book publication, etc.
3. The note cannot be used to advertise any firm.

All submissions should be sent to the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Publications Committee, shown below.